Chapter 6 Verse 5b, 6 & 7

Chapter 6

VERSE 5.

Latter Part—Thy hair is as a flock of goats that appear from Gilead.

VERSE 6.

Thy teeth are as a flock of sheep, which go up from the washing,
whereof every one beareth twins, and there is not one barren among them.

VERSE 7.

As a piece of pomegranate are thy temples within thy locks.

commendations of the church’s beauty are delivered in the same words in chapter 4:1-3, but the repetition of them here is not vain and idle, but may be for the following reasons: 1. To show the reality and certainty of her beauty; that it was no imaginary beauty, but a real one: so things are sometimes repeated for the confirmation of them. 2. To put her in mind of it, that she might value it, and herself upon it, as coming from Christ; who had made her perfectly comely, through the comeliness which he had put upon her. 3. To assure her that her beauty was still the same, and that he had the same opinion of it as ever he had, notwithstanding all her failings and infirmities; and therefore expresses it in the very same words he had used before her backslidings from him. 4. To manifest the unchangeableness of his love towards her; that he is “Jesus, the same today, yesterday, and for ever;” that is “the Lord that changes not, and therefore the sons of Jacob are not consumed.” But having explained these words in chapter 4. I shall not consider them any farther here; but only just observe some variations and differences between them, though they are not indeed very material. In verse 5, the word mount is omitted, which may be supplied from chapter 4:1. In verse 6, the word sheep is expressed, which is understood in chapter 4:2, as are the words even shorn omitted here, though expressed there. In verse 7, is wholly omitted that part of the description which concerns the beauty of the church’s lips and speech; though it is added at the end of the sixth verse by the Septuagint; but is not in the Hebrew copies; neither is it taken notice of by the Targum on the place; nay, the Masora on chapter 4:3, remarks some words as only used in that place, and therefore this was not repeated here in the copies then in use.